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Little Canada chiropractor pleads guilty to raping patient

Paul David Thompson, 54, of Vadnais Heights recently pleaded guilty to a criminal sexual conduct charge filed in May in Ramsey County District Court. County prosecutors stated Thompson raped a female client during an appointment in May at his Little Canada clinic, Thompson Chiropractic on Little Canada Road.

He was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct: one in the third degree and another in the fifth degree. The fifth-degree charge will be dropped per the plea agreement.

Thompson's chiropractic license was revoked by the Minnesota Board of Chiropractic Examiners in June. He had been on probation with the Board of Chiropractic Examiners in the past, including 1991 and 2005. In 2007, the board suspended his license for two weeks and extended his probation period well into 2009 because he had been found to be "treating one or more female patients ... without having a third party present in the same room at all times."

In the 1991 probation, the board said there were allegations from 1986 to '89 that Thompson had "inappropriately touched and/or made suggestive or inappropriate personal remarks" to female patients and a woman who worked for him.

Charges

The criminal complaint states that a woman whom Thompson had treated "on and off" in the past told law enforcement officers that Thompson had forced her to have sex with him during a May 8 appointment. She did not tell anyone about the incident until five days later, when she told her fiance, the complaint said.

On May 19, the victim met investigators and told them she was initially "in shock" and afraid to report the assault because she and her family had known Thompson for 10 years, the complaint stated.

On May 20, the victim called Thompson and recorded their conversation. During that phone call, Thompson allegedly said, "I'm sorry all this extra stuff happened," and said he knew she didn't want to have sex with him, according to the complaint.

During an interview with investigators, Thompson allegedly admitted to raping the victim, and also admitted to having touched her breasts and groin area during previous appointments, the complaint stated. The victim reportedly told investigators she did not recall those incidents.

According to information posted on the Thompson Chiropractic website in May -- the site has since been taken down -- Thompson is married and has five children. The website states Thompson attended Lakewood College, now Century College, in White Bear Lake. He then attended Logan University in Chesterfield, Missouri, which has a doctor of chiropractic program.

Thompson will next appear in court for sentencing Oct. 13.

Ramsey County prosecutors stated they would not ask for a greater sentence than the state guideline of four years in prison. Thompson's attorneys plan to ask for less time.